Apparatus for gathering glass filaments



June 25, 1957 F. P. JAROS APPARATUS FOR GATHERING GLASS FILAMENTSOriginal Filed March 4, 1948 INVENTOR. Hawk P Jheos 4 TTOPNE) UnitedStates Patent 2,796,724 Patented June 25, 1957 APPARATUS FOR GATHERINGGLASS FILAIVIENTS Frank P. Jaros, Hollis, N. Y., assignor to GeneralTextile Mills, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareContinuation of application Serial No. 12,953, March 4, %g2i81.43Thisapplication August 16, 1951, Serial No.

8 Claims. (Cl. 5734.5)

My invention relates to an apparatus for gathering glass filaments andmore particularly to an apparatus for gathering filaments at high speedwhile twisting them into glass yarn.

This application is a continuation of my copending application, SerialNo. 12,953, filed March 4, 1948, now abandoned.

In my copending application I have shown an attenuator used inconnection with the 'gatherer to which this invention is directed. Theglass filaments are formed by pulling them at a uniform speed from anorifice plate to which molten glass is fed. The pulling is done at auniform rate to attenuate the filaments uniformly. The filaments arecollected into a sliver and the sliver is gathered in a spinning pot orthe like to form glass yarn. When used in connection with finelyattenuated filaments a gathering mechanism must be able to operate athigh speed. It will be appreciated that if the attenuation is carried onto produce individual filaments of six microns or less in diameter theattenuator must of necessity operate at an exceptionally high rate ofspeed requiring the use of a high-speed gathering mechanism. Greatdifiiculty is present in inserting a high-speed sliver into a spinningpot and accumulating the sliver prior to its insertion. For continuousoperation the insertion mechanism may be used, as will be clear to thoseskilled in the art, to transfer the sliver from pot to pot.

One object of this invention is to provide a high-speed gatheringapparatus capable of collecting increased lengths of glass yarn and thusreducing manufacturing costs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highspeed gatheringmechanism having a loop starting device for inserting a high-speedsliver into the spinning pot.

Another object of this invention is to provide a braking and releasingmeans for controlling the loop device for transferring the sliver eitherfrom a pneumatic type of waste collector and tensioning device foraccumulating the sliver while correct speeds are being developed or fromone spinning pot to another spinning pot.

A further object of this invention is to provide a highspeed apparatusfor gathering filaments having a loop starting device for inserting thehigh-speed sliver into a spinning pot in which the sliver isautomatically cut when being transferred into the spinning pot from atensioning device theretofore in use.

- Other and further objects of this invention will appear from thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings which form part vof the instantspecification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and inwhich like reference numerals are used to indicatelike parts in thevarious views:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the complete apparatus withparts in section.

Figure 2 is a view with parts in section of the attenuator showing theattenuator chambers.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of theattenuator, drawn on an enlarged scale, with parts broken'a'way. I .1

More particularly referring now to the drawings, a glass fiber spinningfurnace of any suitable design has a lower portion 10 provided with aninner melting chamber 11 at the bottom of which 1 position anelectrically heated spinning plate 12 formed with a multiplicity of fineorifices 13. At operating temperatures the molten glass flows throughthe orifices 13 forming a globule at the lower tip of each orifice fromwhich the filaments 14 are drawn. Positioned below the spinning plate Iprovide a cooling gas blower system 15 which serves to harden theviscous filaments after they have been drawn to the desired diameter.Below the blower 15 I provide a wetting or lubricating chamber 16 formedwith apertures 17 through which a fine mist containing a wetting orlubricating agent of a suitable character is expelled into the centralfilament passage. Excess mist is collected in the trough 19.

The filaments 14 are drawn from the molten globules by the attenuatingapparatus indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. While I haveshown two attenuators 21 and 22 in series in order to permit the sliver23 formed of the filaments 14 to be transmitted to a verticallypositioned spinning pot 24, the desired attenuator functions can beobtained by the use of a single attenuating wheel.

The attenuator 22 is shown in cross section in Figure 2 and comprises arotor 25 mounted on a shaft 26. An internal concentrically positionedstator 27 having pneumatic chambers 23 and 29 is positioned within eachof the attenuator rotors. The stator is open around its periphery andcommunicates with the rotor. The rotor is provided with acircumferentially extending V-shaped seat 30 formed with radiallypositioned apertures 31 at the bottom of the seat, which aperturesprovide communication with the pneumatic chambers 28 and 29.

The rotor of attenuator 22 has the same diameter as the rotor ofattenuator 21 and is driven by the same shaft, thus insuring identicalperipheral speeds.

The chamber 29 of the stator 27 is connected by pipe 32 to an exhaustapparatus of any suitable design (not shown) to provide a reducedpressure at the openings 31 communicating with the chamber 29.Similarly, the chamber 28 is connected by pipe 33 to a pressure pump(not shown) adapted to supply air to the chamber 28 for expulsionthrough openings 31 which communicate with the chamber 28.

The stator may be divided into chambers by partitions 34, 35 and 35, ascan be seen by reference to Figure 1. Instead of partitions, solid wallsas shown in Figure 3 may be employed, thus providing a blank areabetween transition from vacuum to pressure. The holes 31 in the seat ofthe rotor may be .027 of an inch in diameter and angularly spaced 1apart. The position of the partitions is determined by the limit pointsfor suction and pressure, as the case may be.

Means are provided for adjustably rotating the stator by means ofbracket 37, which is secured to the supporting panel 39 by means of aslot 443 and a locking pin 38. In this manner the limit points forsuction and pressure may be varied. The attenuator 21 is of similarconstruction to attenuator 22 and is provided with a suction chamber 41and a pressure chamber 42.

As the filaments 14 approach the \--shaped seat 43 of the rotor ofattenuator 21, which is similar to seat 30 of the rotor of attenuator22, the filaments are cammed together by the sides of V-shaped seat 43to form a sliver 23 in an area subject to reduced pressure since itcommunicates with the suction chamber 41 through the openings 31adjacent thereto. As the rotor reaches the intervening wall 44 carryingthe sliver with it, the reduced pressure area-is left and the pressurearea is entered, since the openings 31 will now communicate with chamber42, which is supplied, with super-atmospheric air pressure.

Thus the sliver is urged from its seat and any broken filaments areblown free of the rotor. This insures against broken filaments windingabout the rotor and interfering with the attenuation.

The spinningipot, indicated generally by the reference numeral 2.4, isof a construction known to the art and similar to those employed in therayon industry. It is provided, however, with a high-speed motor 53driving the spinning pot through shaft 52. A funnel 53 positioned at theupper portion of the pot is supported upon a reciprocating arm 54 whichalternately lowers arid raises the funnel guide tip 55 from which thesliver is being fed to the pot walls.

The end of the sliver is inserted into the mouth of the funnel. In therayon industry a stream of water is supplied through the funnel tostream the rayon into the pot. With glass filaments, however, the highrate of rotation required renders this method unfeasible.

I have devised a gathering mechanism which forms the instant invention.It comprises a tensioning apparatus for establishing the sliver inproper position prior to its injection into the pot while operating atthe necessary high speeds. My tensioning mechanism removes all slackfrom the rapidly moving sliver and yet permits retraction from thetensioning means to enable the sliver to be rapidly shifted from thetensioning mechanism to the pot without losing tension on the sliver.

For starting, the sliver is fed into a waste collector 62. A tube 61 ispositioned tangentially to the attenuator 22 and leads to the wastecollector pot 62. provided at the bottom of the pot for retaining thewaste sliver in the collector. A stream of high velocity air from anysuitable source passes down the tube 61 due to connecting the bottom ofthe waste pot 62 to a high-speed vacuum pump 65. Any suitable means forcausing move" ment of the air in the direction of the arrow from thewaste collector 62 may be employed.

In order to shift the sliver which is going to the tensioning mechanismto the spinning pot 51 I provide a loop mechanism indicated generally bythe reference numeral 70. A loop 71 of strong, flexible thread ofsufficient diameter to prevent it from cutting the sliver or from beingcut duringthe shifting operation is provided. The bight of the loop isencircled around the moving sliver and placed about a roller 75 normallyimmobilized by a brake 76'. The two standing parts of the bight areplaced upon guides 73 and the ends of the loop 72 are threaded throughthe funnel 53 and allowed to contact the side of the spinning pot 24.Sufiicient length is provided for the ends so that they will be thrownout by centrifugal force by the spinning pot and thus held against thesides of the pot. The rotation of the pot thus will tend to pull theloop downwardly while twisting it at the same time.

When it is desired to shift the sliver from the tensioning apparatus tothe pot the pot is rotated at high speed, causing the ends 72 of theloop 71 to be pulled into the pot. As the loop is pulled, the brake 76is released allowing the roller 75 to rotate, thus unwinding the bightof the loop and permitting it to pull the sliver 23 into the pot againstthe action of the tension created'by the tensioning apparatus. It willbe appreciated that roller 75 and brake 76' provide means for releasablysecuring the bight 74 from engaging the glass filaments going to thetensioning apparatus 60. a

At the point where the end of'the sliver takes the position of thebroken line 76 it will contact a switch 81 of an automatic mechanismindicated generally by the reference numeral 80. The switch is attachedto a pressuresensitive lever 82 and, when closed, establishes a circuitthrough conductors 83, energizing a solenoid 84 through any appropriatecurrent source 85. The energization of the solenoid trips a cut-offknife 86, which is biased by spring 87 and permits the knife to cuttheretracted sliver in the position of the broken line 76 through the knifeedge 88. In order to prevent the rapid flow of air through tube -161from re-establishing the passage of the sliver-into A screen 63 is oftube 61.

the waste collector pot 62 a cover 89 is attached to the knife .so thatthe cover will be carried along with the knife during the cuttingoperation to close the opening In this manner the sliver moves at highspeed from the tensioning apparatus 60 to the spinning pot. It will beappreciated that in practice the sliver may be shifted from one pot 24to an adjacent pot 24, the pot 24 in use acting as a tensioning device.

As soon as the pot 24 has charge of the sliver the loop mechanism ismade readly with its end in a fresh pot 24'. The second pot 24',however, is not started until the first pot 24 is almost filled. Theempty pot 24' is then started, the brake 76 released, and the cut-offmechanism operates as before, it being understood that the cut-01fmechanism is mounted adjacent the first pot in any suitable manner,

as, for example, on the panel 39. It will be understood that the bight74 of a new loop 71 must be placed on roller before a new transfer,since the old loop 71 has been drawn into the first pot during thepreceding transfer operation.

In operating from pot to pot the pot receiving the sliver is in theposition of the tensioning apparatus 60 and the pot to which the sliveris to be transferred is as shown by pot 51 in the drawing. In order tomaintain the proper position of pots during a continuous operation theymay be mounted on a movable base and shifted to tensioning position justprior tocut-off.

The inner peripheral speed of the pot is higher than the speed of thesliver. This produces a twist in the glass sliver as it is beinggathered. The greater the difference in the peripheral speed of the potwith respect to the speed of the sliver the greater will be the twist.The twist is an important feature since it facilitates the unwinding andeliminates the hazards of handling parallel-positioned filaments.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention.Ihave provided an apparatus for gathering glass filaments at speed intoslivers and giving the slivers a desirable initial-twist to form yarn. Ihave provided a tensioning mechanism to maintain'a tension in the sliverwhile switching it to an adjacent spinning pot or from one spinning potto an empty spinning pot while maintaining a high-speed movement of thesliver. I have provided a switching device comprising a loop togetherwith an automatic cut-off for redirecting the sliver from pot to pot andsevering the starting end theretofore passing to a tensioning devicewhich may be another spinning pot in the process of being filled.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations areofutility and may be employed without ref.- erence to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of myclaims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made indetails within the scope of my claims withoutdeparting from the spiritof my invention. It is therefore to be understood that my invention isnot to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim'is:

1. Apparatusfor gathering glass filaments including in combination anattenuator rotor, a spinning pot positioned adjacent the locus of atangent to the rotor, means for receiving and yieldably tensioning glassfilaments from the attenuator rotor, the tensioning means beingpositioned along the locus of another tangent to the rotor, a flexibleloop having a bight and ends, the glass filaments going to thetensioning means being adapted to be dis posed within the bightof theloop, the ends of the loop being positioned in the spinning pot, meansfor releasably securing the bight from engaging the glass filamentsgoing to the tensioning means and means responsive to movement of thebight after release thereof forsevering the glass filaments wher by thebight'and :the glass filaments will be directed into the spinning pot.

2. Apparatus-as in claim 1 including means for-rotating the spinning potat a peripheral speed greater than the peripheral speed of theattenuator rotor.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the tensioning means comprises awaste pot and means for maintaining a subatmospheric pressure in thewaste pot.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the tensioning means comprises asecond spinning pot.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the means for releasably' securingthe bight comprises a roller around which a portion of the bight iswound and readily releasable means for immobilizing the roller.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises aknife, means for movably mounting the knife adjacent the glassfilaments, means for biasing the knife to move to cutting position,means for holding the knife in cocked position against the action of thebiasing means and means for rendering the holding means inoperative.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises aknife, means for movably mounting the knife adjacent the glassfilaments, means for biasing the knife to move to cutting position,means for holding the knife in cocked position against the action of thebiasing means and means responsive to the deflection of the loop forrendering the holding means inoperative.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises aknife, means for movably mounting the knife adjacent the glassfilaments, means for biasing the knife to move to cutting position,means for holding the knife in cocked position against the action of thebiasing means and means for rendering the tensioning means inoperativesimultaneously with the movement of said knife to cutting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,822,018 Deile Sept. 8, 1931 2,412,403 Jackson et al. Dec. 10, 19462,522,250 Bechtler Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 359,627 Great BritainOct. 29, 1931 649,489 Germany Aug. 12, 1937 692,783 France Mar. 26, 1930

